Escape
by aufflover
Summary: He had been held captive long enough. He was done. Would he be able to escape and get to his loved ones?


**He had been held captive long enough. He was done. Would he be able to escape and get to his loved ones?**

**Disclaimer: Nope**

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><p>It was the middle of a moonless night when he slowly began to regain consciousness. His eyes fluttered as he struggled to shake off the remnants of a deep sleep, and listened intently for any signs that his captors were near. After listening for several minutes, he gingerly sat up and took in his surroundings. It was a fairly large room and he had all he needed in it, but it was a lonely existence since the majority of the time that he was in the room, he was trapped in a cage. He was constantly under surveillance by his captors. They would let him out during the day to other parts of the building, but throughout the day and every evening, they would lead him to this room and put him in his cage. He had no idea what his captors did when he was locked in his prison, but he had memorized the layout of the building and had planned multiple escape routes for times just like this. He hated the isolation, but he knew better than to fight his captors.<p>

As his eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness, he once again took in the details of his chamber and couldn't believe his luck when a small amount of light filtered into the room revealing that the door was slightly ajar. A small smile formed on his face as he used the bars that surrounded him to pull himself into a standing position, avoiding the middle bar that he knew was a little loose from being pulled on so many times. He had to be absolutely silent if he wanted this escape attempt to be successful.

This would be his third attempt in the last month. He hated being caged in his prison. He needed people and he detested being away from his loved ones. Both of his earlier attempts were thwarted by his captors, who promptly returned him to his cage each time. He couldn't understand why they did this to him, why they made him stay alone in the cage with just a blanket. He knew they could see and hear him when he was sequestered, saw his emotional breakdowns; so he didn't understand why they wouldn't take pity on him and just let him out!

After listening to his surroundings for a few more minutes to make sure that no one had heard him, he used all of his strength to pull himself up and over the top of the bars that encircled him. As he lowered himself to the floor on the other side of his cage, he listened intently. This was the point in his previous escape attempts that his captors had caught him, so he was sure to make no sounds. He pulled the single thin blanket through the bars to take with him, knowing he would need the warmth once he was free. He stood stalk still for several minutes as he listened for movement outside of the room. After hearing nothing, he cautiously made his way to the door.

He opened the door just wide enough to slip out and avoid the creak that he knew came when the door opened to a certain point. He knew the route he wanted to take, so it was just a matter of staying completely silent so that his captors wouldn't hear him. He silently made his way to the top of the steps and began descending. He moved all the way to the left of the stairs on the fifth step to avoid the middle where he knew a small sound would escape if stepped on. When he reached the landing, he wanted to do a victory dance knowing that he was halfway home. He knew this part of the building like the back of his hand by now. The most intense part of his escape would be getting to the last room that he rarely saw when he was wide awake. They took him to the last room many times, but he had almost always been close to unconsciousness when that occurred.

He again listened to sounds emanating from the building and its occupants, and silently made his way across the cold floor beneath his feet. This was a crucial time in his escape. If the last door in his path was open, he knew he would be home free and could see his family again. That thought brought tears to his eyes, but he straightened up and shook off the emotion. He knew he had to keep a clear head in order to complete his escape. After seeing the final door slightly open, he knew that it was a sign that this was the right time for his escape. Fate was on his side, so he grabbed the opportunity by both hands and pressed on.

He stood outside the door and listened. He knew the sounds that he did and did not want to hear. When he realized the coast was clear, he pushed the door open and slipped through the crack.

He was free! He wanted to laugh like a maniac and proclaim his success, but he held back and continued walking until he found the edge of the platform that he needed to scale to reach his final destination. He slowly and silently climbed up and settled himself to wait until morning when he could be reunited with his family once and for all. He was determined to never be confined to that prison and cage again. He pulled the blanket over himself and quietly sighed as he realized that he was exactly where he wanted to be.

Benjamin James Castle fell asleep at the end of his parent's bed with a smile on his face while thinking that the third time really was the charm.

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><p><strong>I might continue this if the interest is there. I have some ideas floating around in my brain pan. ;)<strong>


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